BRONX, N.Y. (Interstat) — Tommy McAndrews drove in five runs, including a decisive three-run homer, and Beau Elson delivered seven dominant innings on the mound to lead the Fordham Rams to a 7-2 victory over the Cornell Big Red in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.

The game, played on a cool March 7 afternoon, was a showcase for Fordham’s battery. Elson, the Rams’ starting pitcher, set the tone with a masterful performance, scattering four hits over seven scoreless innings. He struck out two and walked none, efficiently silencing a Cornell lineup that managed only eight hits total. This outing marked a stark turnaround for Elson, who was tagged for five earned runs without recording a hit in just five innings during a loss at Stetson the previous weekend.

Cornell struck first without the benefit of a hit in the opening frame. Leadoff man Carlson reached on an error, advanced on a passed ball and a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch. Swidorski then singled and later scored on another wild pitch, giving the Big Red a 2-0 lead before Fordham had taken a swing.

The advantage was short-lived. The Rams answered immediately in the bottom of the first against Cornell starter Carson Mayfield. Taylor Kirk doubled and, after a hit-by-pitch and two stolen bases, McAndrews delivered a two-run single to center field, knotting the score at 2-2.

The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the fourth. Fordham pushed across the go-ahead run when Tommy Markey grounded into a fielder’s choice, allowing Ocko to score for a 3-2 lead.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the fifth inning, turning a tight contest into a comfortable Fordham lead. With Mayfield still on the mound for Cornell, Kirk singled and stole second. After a walk, both runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. McAndrews then stepped in and launched a three-run home run to left field, clearing the bases and extending the Rams’ lead to 6-2. The homer chased Mayfield from the game and effectively sealed the outcome, as Cornell’s offense continued to struggle against Elson.

Cornell finally broke through against the Fordham bullpen in the eighth. Luke Johnson doubled off reliever Smith Koen to drive in one run, and Johnson later scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 6-4. The Big Red threatened for more, loading the bases with two outs, but Fordham reliever Declan Cawley entered and struck out Hower to end the inning. Fordham added an insurance run in its half of the eighth on an RBI double by Matt Dieguez.

Ross Yoshida provided a bright spot for Cornell in relief, tossing three hitless innings with two strikeouts after replacing Mayfield. Noah Keller also struck out two in a scoreless 0.2 innings of work.

With the loss, Cornell’s season record fell to 1-8, continuing a difficult start that included a three-game sweep at Richmond last weekend. Fordham improved to 3-9, earning its first win since a 7-6 victory at Stetson on Feb. 28.

The two teams were scheduled to conclude their doubleheader later Saturday. Cornell will travel to face the Virginia Military Institute next weekend, while Fordham will host Iona on Tuesday before a road trip to Rutgers and a series at Davidson.